Where Do Americans NOT Want To Live? See Below (Twin Cities)

According to a new study by the Pew Research Center, not many Americans want to to live in the Twin Cities.

"The Top 10 cities were all in the South or the West, led by Denver. Next were San Diego, Seattle, Orlando, Tampa, San Francisco, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento and San Antonio.

The Twin Cities area landed 26th in the 30-city metropolis heap, followed by Kansas City, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Detroit.

The survey, conducted in the first half of October, questioned 2,260 adults by telephone.

Of those questioned, 16 percent said they would like to live in the Twin Cities area, 82 percent gave a thumbs down, and 2 percent had no opinion."

Well, at least Minneapolis finished ahead of Detroit.

Unemployment, GDP Data

The current unemployment rate, 7.2% as of December '08, should be expected to rise significantly when the January data arrives next Friday. The 4th Quarter GDP came out and the nation's output fell 3.8%, the worst growth rate since 1982. Expect it to get much worse before it gets better.

Where The Layoffs Are

Click on the chart above for an interactive Look at recent job cuts by industry and company. As you can see, the finance industry has been hit especially hard.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

For more pictures of unsold cars around the world, click here.

Knoxville, Tennessee (above)

HOT: Family Dollar Stores, Up by +60% over the last 12 months

NOT: Target Corporation, Down by -30% over the last 12 months

THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: HOW DOES THIS RECESSION COMPARE?

This is an interesting chart of unemployment rates over the last 60 years (Click to enlarge). The shaded areas are recessions. In 1974 the UE rate reached 9%, and in 1982 reached 11%. So our current 7.2% UE rate has yet to come close to these levels. Or maybe the worst is yet to come?